Corn picker reversing transmission



April 28, 1953 N. R. KRAUSE v CORN PICKER REVERSING TRANSMISSION Filed Dec. 20, 1948 v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 IN V EN TOR.

Apnl 28, 1953 7 NR. KRAUSE 0 I CORN PICKER REVERSING TRANSMISSION Filed Dec. 20, 1948 QSHEETS-SEET'Z umw nhn I I I a Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CORN PICKER REVERSING TRANSMISSION Norman R. Krause, Racine, Wis., assignor to J. I.

Case Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation Wisconsin 7 Application December 20, 1948, Serial No. 66,186

1 Claim.

This invention relates to corn harvesters and,

' more particularly, to improvements in corn pickers of the character disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,922,375, dated August 15, 1933. Corn pickers of this general type are provided with come choked up due to the accumulation of weeds, crushed stalks, and other foreign materials therebetween. The usual practice under such circumstances has been for the operator to stop the corn picker and pry loose the foreign materials from between the rolls with some sharp instrument. This operation is often dangerous to the operator, damaging to the rolls, and causes considerable loss of time in the harvesting process. Thus it is one object of this invention to provide means for relieving this choked-up condition between the snapping rolls, which is safe to the operator and machine as well, and will produce the desired effect in a quick and effective manner.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for preventing the delivery of such foreign materials to the elevator after being removed from between the snapping rolls.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of means for effecting the above indicated desired results which may readily be controlled by the operator of the harvester.

Further and additional objects will appear from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claim.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention a corn picker is provided having one or more pairs of substantially parallel snapping rolls between which the ear-bearing stalks pass as the picker progresses down a row of corn in a field, said snapping rolls normally rotating downwardly and inwardly toward each other, thus removing the ears from the stalks and holding the stalks upright while they pass between the rolls, said snapping rolls having associated therewith a reversible transmission operated by means of a suitable control lever whereby the relative direction of rotation of the snapping rolls may be reversed (i. e., upwardly and outwardly from each other), thus relieving any choked-up condition of the rolls in a safe, quick, and effective manner. Additional mechanism is provided so that, simultaneous with the reversal of the rotation of the snapping rolls, the movement of an elevator, which receives the snapped ears at the rear of the rolls, is stopped and remains in a stationary position until the rolls are once more put in normaloperation by the operator. Thus by having the elevator stationary during the time the rolls are reversed in rotation, the snapped ears already in the elevator are kept free from the foreign materials ejected from between the rolls. Also the mechanism is arranged so that each gathering chain adjacent each pair of snapping rolls for directing the snapped ears rearwardly to the elevator in normal operation also reverses direction with the rolls, whereby the foreign materials ejected by the rolls is swept clear toward the forward end of the harvester.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference is now made to the drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a corn picker embodying this invention shown connected to the rear end of a tractor for drawing and operating the same.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the power transmitting mechanism utilized in the picker.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the reversing transmission for the snapping rolls and associated mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with a portion of the gear box housing removed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the one-way clutch mechanism for the elevator drive used with the picker shown'in Figs.

1 and 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the gear box shown in Fig. 3-with the top cover in place. i

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation of the gear box shown in Fig. 5,-and

Fig. '7 is an enlarged'sectional view of a pair of the snapping rolls taken along line of Referring now to'the drawings, a corn picker Ill, adapted for being drawn and operated by-a tractor I2, is provided with two pairs of substan tially parallel snapping'rolls l4 and !6 which are normally driven to rotate inwardly and downwardly in order'tov remove the ears from cornstalks as the picker progresses down two rows of corn and to hold erect the ear-bearing stalks while they progress rearwardly between the rolls. Two pairs of gathering chains [8 and 20 are shaft 26 of the corn picker [0, all as disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,922,375. In accordance with the herein disclosed invention there is pro- 4 drawings is a neutral position in which no power is transmitted to shaft 30. From a sprocket 82, which is keyed to shaft as shown in Fig. 2, a drive shaft 84 for the elevator 22 is chain driven in the manner disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,922,375. The elevator is arranged to operate during the normal operation of machine. However, in accordance with this invention it is not desired that the elevator mechanism be reversed when the transmission is actuated for reversal of the snapping rolls and gathering chains. Accordingly there is provided a sprocket '86' (see Figs. 2 and 4) rotatably mounted on the vided a reversing transmission gear box 28 operably associated with the drive shaft 26 and with a transverse drive shaft 30.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 3, the shaft 26 terminates within the gear box housing 28 and has keyed to it a bevel gear 3%. Said bevel gear 34 meshes with a pair of bevel gears 36 and 33, which'latter are rotatably mounted within the gearbox housing 2.8 by means of bearing sleeves 49' and 32. Within the gear box housing 23 is located a two-way clutch a l which is keyed to the shaft 30 through a longitudinal slot as cut inshaft 38 whereby said clutch may be movable for a limited distance therealong. Saidclutch M maybe moved by means of an arm 52 in either direction so that:,the dog teeth thereon may alternately engage with dog teeth-t8 and 58 of bevel gears .86 and 38 respectively. The arm '52 is pivoted at one'end to the gear box housin 2 at point sa -and is'bifurcated at its other end to engage with a peripheral groove .55 cut in the center of two-way clutch 4 3. Another arm 56 (see Figs. 5 and 6) which is in a fixed relative position to arm *52 forming a bell crank lever, is also attached at point 54' to the gear box 23. To the protrudin end of arm 56 is connected control rod 60, which leads to the control cab (not shown) of'the tractor 12. Thus the operator by means of control rod 68 may activate arm 5t to a'forward position-62 or rearward position 64, as shownby the dotted lines in Fig. 5. This niovement'in turn; activates the clutch M to engage the dog teeth of the bevel gear 38 when said arm 56 is in forward position 62 (Fig. 5) and rotates shaft 30 in direction A (Fig. 3) or-to engage thedog-teeth '48 of bevel gear 36 when arm 56 is in rearward position 64 and rotates shaft til in direction B. The shaft it continues to rotate in the same direction C regardless of the position of clutch M. Thus the rotation of shaft 39 maybe reversed quickly and easily by the operator when required. The power for driving the snapping rolls {4 and i5- and the gathering chains t8 and 29 is taken ofi of drive shaft 39 through bevel-gears 66 and Gil-which are keyed to said-shaft 3E] and, in turn, mesh with bevelgears TO and '12, which are keyed, to the shafts it and 1-5 of thetwo inward snapping rolls, as shown in Fig. 2. To each of these shafts l4 and 76 are keyed spur gears i8 and 8B respectively which mesh With adjacent spur gears,

which latter are attached to the shafts of the.

Thus both he snapping rolls and. the gath ring chainsareureversedin rotational direction when theoperatms arm, fillis m ved from posi- 6? t0 me t nitfi. itb ins und rsto d tha the position; ndicated-in the full ines; 0i 1 l1 elevator drive shaft 84 and adapted for engaging a dog clutch Stlreyed to the drive shaft 84 through a slot'll'l whereby limited axial movement of the clutch along the shaft is permitted.

Said clutch "88 is caused to engage adjacent portion 89 of the sprocket by means of a spring compressed between the clutch 8S and a nut and washer assembly 9| threadably secured to one end of the shaft 84. Thus the rotation of drive shaft is in one direction is transmitted from sprocket '52 to sprocket 35 through chain 92,- to clutch 88 whi h flp-crates the elevator through the drive shaft 54. However, upon reversal of the transmission mechanism 218, the relative positioning of the (10% teeth on clutch B8 and sprocket $6 and the normal load on the elevator causes the clutch 83 to move axially away fr m he-sprocke 8 there y di en a ng th dog teeth. The clutch thereby becomes disene sed and no power is transmitted to t e elevat for reverse movement thereof. Upon normal operation being le-BStfl'OiiShEd by the operator through the transmission, the pring 99, will mov the clutch 88 along the shaft 34 toward the sprocket 88 whereby the clutch and sprocket are operatively engaged-by means of the dog teeth thereon. As a result when-the snappin rolls I4 and i6 and gathering chains 18 and 28 are reversed in rotation by the operator, the drive shaft 85 and elevator 22 remain stationary.

It will be noticed on reference to Figs. 1 and 2 that the gathering chains include fingers or spuds 85' which are shaped so as to operate in either direction without carrying broken stalks and chaff beyond the point of release, which is just before the spud is carried around the sprocket. In this instance the spud is triangularv inshape so as to allow the stalks and chaff to slip from it easily, This is especially important when-the gathering chains are traveling in the reverse direction, as when the choked material is being released from the roller to be deposited upon the ground forwardly. At this lower discharge point, the, spuds pass rather close to the groundandmust therefore beshaped forming thesupporting operation. As shown in .Fig. 7-, theaxes-of rctation of the rolls are or:- set with respect-' to oneanother andthe leading edges ici of the ribs 10 8, when the rolls are r a i in their normalop rat g directionC. are rounded somewhat by their-frequent contact with the stalks astheypass between the rolls. The trailing edges Hi2, onvthe other hand. re-

.im Sha p because they. are substantially protested-frqmcon act With-the. stalks during. normal operation of the rolls. Thus upon reversing the rotation of the rolls, the sharp edges IE2 of the ribs I00 become the leading edges and readily grip or bite into the clogged material disposed therebetween and eject it therefrom. The longitudinally "spaced spiral ribs I03 mounted on the rolls and the fingers 85 mounted on the chains [8 direct the'ejected material forwardly along the rolls for. discharge thereof at the front or forward end of said rolls.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a safe. quick and effective way has been provided for reversing the rotation of the snapping rolls l4 and I5 and gathering chains [8 and 20 when required for ridding said snapping rolls of foreign materials which may have accumulated between said rolls without reversing the direction of the elevator 22.

While a particular embodiment of this invention is shown above, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made and it is contemplated, therefore, by the appended claim, to cover such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

NORMAN R. KRAUSE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 841,704 Moore Jan. 22, 1907 1,008,942, Boda Nov. 14, 1911 1,922,375 Krause Aug. 15, 1933 2,152,273 Otto Mar. 28, 1939 2,366,408 Jenson Jan. 2, 1945 2,525,481 Flora Oct. 10, 1950 

